DOHA: The United Arab Emirates edged past Oman 2-1 in the fourth round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup on Saturday. UAE now needs a draw against host Qatar on Tuesday to reach the finals for the first time since 1990.&nbsp;The loss ended Oman&rsquo;s chances of winning the three-team Group A and securing automatic qualification for a first World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. But the team can still finish second and advance to the fifth round.&nbsp;Oman, who drew 0-0 with Qatar on Wednesday, took the lead in the 12th minute when an Amjad Al Harthi shot was deflected in by defender Kouame Autonne at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.&nbsp;After holding on for most of the match, Oman&rsquo;s defense was finally opened up in the 76th minute when Marcus Meloni headed in an Ali Saleh cross at the far post.&nbsp;Seven minutes later, Caio Lucas delivered a cross from the left that eluded everyone to give the UAE the lead to the delight of 5,000 traveling fans.&nbsp;In Group B, Iraq defeated Indonesia 1-0 to move level on points with Saudi Arabia ahead of their meeting on Tuesday.&nbsp;Former Manchester United youth player Zidane Iqbal scored the only goal on 76 minutes with a low shot from the edge of the area.&nbsp;Iraq must defeat group leader Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Tuesday to qualify for a first World Cup since 1986, as the host has scored more goals, having beaten Indonesia 3-2 on Wednesday.&nbsp;The two losses mean Indonesia cannot qualify.

Football

The United Arab Emirates defeated Oman 2-1 in Doha, moving within a draw of qualifying for their first World Cup since 1990. Marcus Meloni and Caio Lucas scored late to overturn Oman’s early lead.



UAE on verge of first World Cup appearance since 1990

Web Desk

DUBAI:&nbsp;Pakistan set up another charged showdown with arch-rivals India at the Asia Cup after defeating the United Arab Emirates by 41 runs in Dubai on Wednesday.The match began an hour late as the fallout rumbled on from a handshake row with India.The Pakistan Cricket Board was considering pulling out from the tournament after their demand to remove Andy Pycroft who oversaw Sunday&#39;s game, after which the India team refused to shake hands with their rivals, AFP reported.A statement issued today by the PCB shortly before the toss between Pakistan and UAE said: &ldquo;The ICC&rsquo;s match referee, Andy Pycroft, has apologised to the manager and captain of the Pakistan cricket team.&rdquo;It said he termed the Sunday incident &ldquo;a result of miscommunication and apologised&rdquo;. The PCB also added that the ICC expressed its willingness to conduct an inquiry into the code of conduct violation that occurred during the match.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1968337164342821208&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=c8d159cbf5620995ea7e46194d9b20427d0819bc&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 697px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>Fakhar Zaman scored 50 off 36 balls and Shaheen Shah Afridi added a brisk 29 not out as Pakistan made a modest 146-9 batting first, AFP reported.Pakistan&#39;s bowling chargeSpinner Abrar Ahmed led Pakistan&#39;s bowling charge with 2-13 as the UAE were dismissed for 105 in 17.4 overs. Shaheen took 2-16 and fellow paceman Haris Rauf 2-19.The win means Pakistan join India in the Super Four from Group A. They will meet again in Dubai on Sunday.Rahul Chopra top-scored for the hosts with run-a-ball 35.Pakistan got off to a shaky start as Saim Ayub fell for a second-ball duck while Sahibzada Farhan made five, both falling to pace bowler Junaid Siddique.Siddique finished with an impressive 4-18 in his four overs.Zaman and Salman Agha added 61 for the third wicket. Agha made 20.Three sixes Zaman hit three sixes and two fours before he fell to left-arm spinner Simranjeet Singh, who took 3-26.It was left to Shaheen to help Pakistan add 51 in the last five overs.Sri Lanka meet Afghanistan in Abdu Dhabi to decide who goes through to the next round from Group B. Bangladesh are also in the running with two wins in three matches.

Cricket

Pakistan defeated UAE by 41 runs in the Asia Cup, with Fakhar Zaman scoring 50. The win sets up a rematch with India after a match delay due to a handshake controversy.

Pakistan beat UAE to set up another India clash in Asia Cup

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to deepen collaboration in the fight against drug trafficking, Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced Friday.&nbsp;The agreement followed a meeting in Islamabad between Naqvi and Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, chairman of the UAE&rsquo;s National Anti-Narcotics Authority. The two sides discussed counter-narcotics efforts and other shared concerns.&nbsp;Both countries committed to enhancing joint operations and intelligence-sharing to curb drug smuggling. Naqvi reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s role as a frontline state in this fight, stating, &ldquo;Those involved in this heinous trade are being dealt with an iron hand.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;The war against drugs is a war for our generations, and in this war, defeat is not an option,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;Sheikh Zayed praised Pakistan&rsquo;s resolve and pledged &ldquo;all possible cooperation&rdquo; to protect future generations from the scourge of narcotics.&nbsp;The meeting builds on earlier trilateral talks involving Saudi Arabia, addressing issues such as migration, community conduct, and narcotics control. These discussions come amid concerns over Pakistani nationals facing criticism in Gulf countries over issues like begging, harassment, TikTok disturbances, and drug trafficking, challenges that have affected visa access.&nbsp;In response, the UAE embassy has launched a one-window visa operation aimed at gradually easing restrictions on Pakistani applicants. Officials acknowledge progress but emphasize that further efforts are needed to fully normalize visa policies.&nbsp;Also present at the meeting were Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, federal secretaries, leadership of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), and senior officials from the interior ministry. Pakistan has appointed DG ANF Major General Abdul Mueed as its special representative for the partnership, while the UAE nominated Brigadier Tahir Gharib.

Politics

UAE praises Pakistan’s resolve and pledged “all possible cooperation” to protect future generations from the scourge of narcotics.

Articles tagged with "UAE"

UAE on verge of first World Cup appearance since 1990

Pakistan beat UAE to set up another India clash in Asia Cup

Pakistan, UAE strengthen cooperation to combat drug trafficking

UAE on verge of first World Cup appearance since 1990